Getting a headshot photo is a common practice for various personal and professional reasons. Whether you're a musician, business professional, or simply someone looking to update your social media profiles, a well-executed headshot can be a valuable tool. Here's why someone might consider getting a headshot and how they can prepare for it:
1. Professional Branding: Headshots are essential for building and maintaining a professional online presence. They can be used on LinkedIn, company websites, and business cards. A polished headshot can convey competence, approachability, and credibility, helping you make a strong first impression in the professional world.
2. Musicians and entertainers; Elevate your professionalism and project your image before you meet with promoters, venues, managers, recording labels, etc.
3. Personal Branding: Even if you're not in the entertainment or corporate world, a headshot can be a valuable tool for personal branding. It's an opportunity to showcase your personality, style, and uniqueness. Many people use headshots for personal websites, social media profiles, or dating apps.
4. Networking: Headshots are handy for conferences, speaking engagements, and networking events. Having a professional photo on hand can help others remember you and connect a face to your name, making it easier to build professional relationships.
5. Online Dating: In the world of online dating, a good headshot can significantly improve your chances of attracting potential matches. It provides a glimpse into your appearance and personality, giving others a sense of who you are beyond a written profile.
To prepare for a headshot session, consider the following steps:
1. As a Professional Photographer who specializes in headshots, I can help guide you along the process. I understand not everyone is comfortable in front of a camera, but It has been said many times, how I can put people at ease. This is one of the most important things in the session. My goal is to make you, YOU and project the image you are striving for.
2. Discuss Your Goals: Before the session, we will have a conversation about your objectives. Are you going for a corporate look or a more casual, creative vibe? This will help plan the shoot accordingly.
3. Wardrobe and Grooming: Select clothing that suits your intended image. Avoid busy patterns and opt for solid colors that complement your complexion. Ensure your clothing is clean and well-fitted. Pay attention to grooming, including hair, makeup, and skincare.
4. Practice Posing: Practice different facial expressions and poses in front of a mirror. Relax and be yourself during the shoot, but having some go-to poses can boost your confidence.
5. Relax and Have Fun: On the day of the shoot, try to relax and enjoy the process. As a professional photographer, I will guide you through the session and capture your best angles.
6. Review and Select: After the session, you'll typically be presented with a selection of photos to choose from. Take your time to review them and select the ones that best represent your goals and personality.
In conclusion, a headshot is a valuable investment for personal and professional purposes. It's a powerful tool for branding and making a positive impression in various contexts. By preparing adequately and working with a skilled photographer, you can ensure your headshot reflects your best self.
Did you know that you can subtly influence what people feel when they look at your photo just by the colors you wear?
This special guide will give you a breakdown of what all the different colors mean and how you can speak to people's unconscious minds just by wearing certain things.
IMPORTANT: Color meanings are subconscious. Use them, but don't let them be the only deciding factor on whether you wear or bring a certain color!
Blue:
The color blue primarily gives off the feeling of professionalism and confidence, especially if it is in the top-most layer of clothing. Wearing blue underneath the top layer usually denotes peace and calm, especially if it is a paler shade of blue. Having a pale blue background will sometimes denote sadness in a headshot.
Black:
Wearing a black outer layer in a headshot typically denotes a feeling of elegance and sophistication. It can bring out a professional feel in any outfit and sometimes even lends a sense of mystery to a character, especially if it's worn underneath the outer layer. When black worn in a more sophisticated clothing style (like a suit or dress), it can bring out a sad feeling, because mourning is usually symbolized by the color black. An all black background definitely gives a feeling of professionalism and or mystery, depending on the lighting in the headshot. I don't recommend wearing black with another dark color, especially if the colors are close to each other because they may blend together and look muddy and unprofessional.
Beige:
Beige is an interesting color because it acts similarly to a chameleon, taking on aspects and emotions of any color it is worn with. As an outer layer, beige will add conservatism and sophistication to any outfit. Wearing beige as an inner layer is not recommended because it usually looks similar to skin tones. I would highly discourage shooting against a beige background because it blends too closely with the skin, giving the headshot a washed out look.
Brown:
As a more casual color than black, brown can be worn to signify warmth and honesty. It is often used to make other colors appear brighter and richer, bringing out the emotions of them more. A brown background will usually give the viewer a feeling of wholesomeness and makes the subject of the headshot appear trustworthy and loyal.
Gray:
Usually worn as an outer layer, gray adds a bit of professionalism to a headshot and neutralizes brighter colors. Of course, the effect is much more subtle than black, and as the shade of gray gets lighter, the effect becomes even less pronounced. One must be careful however of overusing the color gray, as it can become boring and flat quite easily.
Green:
An outer layer of green in a headshot often symbolizes stability and harmony in a character. However, when used as an inner layer (especially a paler green), it can symbolize inexperience and jealousy. A green background often symbolizes growth and life, giving any character in a headshot a more energetic and happy feel.
Orange:
Wearing the color orange is often not a great choice unless used in small doses. The color demands attention, thereby taking away some from the face of the subject. Throwing some orange into a headshot is great to add a bit of excitement and warmth to an image. The color orange stimulates the appetite, and can be used to bring a bit of life into an otherwise emotionless headshot. Orange can be used in tiny vertical stripes in clothing, but should rarely be used as the primary color of an inner or outer layer. An orange background is also not recommended, as it will distract from the face in the headshot.
Pink:
Pink is a delicate color, mostly used for females. It typically denotes tenderness and playfulness, and should be worn as an inner layer. Too much pink, such as an entire outer layer, can sometimes take away attention from the face in the headshot. Fortunately, combining pink with darker colors can bring the headshot a more professional and mature look. A pink background is highly discouraged as it will draw attention to itself and be a distraction.
Purple:
Similar to black, purple is a color of mystery. Deep shades of purple can represent royalty, nobility, and power. The color can be combined with a warm or cold palette and will take on whichever aspect (hot or cold) it is combined with. An outer layer of purple brings out the feelings of nobility and power in a headshot, while an inner layer of purple brings out mystery. When used with earthy colors, purple can produce an earthy feel itself. Paler shades of purple feel delicate and romantic, completely losing the feel of nobility. A purple background can work if it is used sparingly.
Red:
Red is one of the most stimulating colors, bringing out emotions of love and violence, and in some cases, even raising the blood pressure in people. It symbolizes power and importance, and often is used to grab the attention of people and get them to take some sort of action. Since this is such a strong color, it is much more effective to use it in small amounts for a headshot. When overused, red can really take away from the headshot. A red background is discouraged, as it may feel a bit overbearing.
White:
White should be used sparingly because it can attract attention and can sometimes be overexposed. The color white is commonly used to symbolize purity, softness, and goodness. The only time I recommend using a lot of white is for a headshot background. A flat white background works well to remove any distracting elements from the image and will give the image a high-key, happy feel. If you are a photographer reading this, avoid having a headshot client wear white as the primary color. If they do, shoot in a very shaded area and be sure to underexpose your images slightly so that you retain detail in the whites. Then you can adjust the curves later in Photoshop to brighten up the image while still retaining the details in the headshot client's white shirt. If you are client, wearing a white shirt underneath a suit jacket works very well but more white than that can become distracting.
Yellow:
Yellow is typically associated with joy and sunshine. However, it can also symbolize cowardliness and deceit, based on the way it is worn. Avoid overexposure with the color yellow, especially on darker skinned people. Yellow should almost never be used as the primary color because of how bright and attention grabbing it is. If it is worn in a headshot, it should almost always be used as an inner layer. When used as the primary color in a shirt, if exposed properly it will represent happiness and joy. When used as a smaller, less visible color, it then can have a range of effects, from deceit and cowardliness to money and danger. The effect it has will be based on what emotion the character is portraying in his or her expression. Yellow backgrounds typically signify happiness, but again should be used very sparingly because of how much attention they demand and how bright they can be in the headshot.
Red
Pairs well with light green, pink, dark brown, and purple.
Yellow
Pairs well with dark blue, red, light blue, and black.
Green
Pairs well with dark blue, dark purple, dark green, and black.
Teal
Pairs well with dark green, dark red, peach, and dark blue.
Blue
Pairs well with dark green, pale green, white, and dark red.
Purple
Pairs well with dark blue, red, pale purple, and pale green.
Pink
Pairs well with gray, blue, red, and black.